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Are you interested in starting a new team in GMSA's fall or spring leagues?  If the answer is "yes", we're pleased that you're interested in joining us.  Do understand that, with as many players and teams as we currently have, that there is a certain level of commitment that we expect from all players and teams.  As such, there's a modest amount of time and effort that is required to make this work for everyone.  Certainly, this is no one's full-time job, but we do expect everyone's participation to be treated as more than just an after-thought.  If you can't make that modest commitment to be organized, field a team for all scheduled games, and work within the parameters that we have, then we may not be the league for you.  These are not very high hills to climb, but we say that on the front end so that you're aware that we are a little more than just a "rec league".

So, with that said, what do you need to do first?

1. The most important first step to enter a new team is to simply let us know.  To do this, complete the PROSPECTIVE NEW TEAM FORM expressing your interest.
Important: To prevent spamming of this form, we've put it in a protected directory.  Enter "gmsa" (all lowercase) as the Username and Password when prompted to access the form.

We'll ask you to:

• Give us a tentative team name (as a means of reference), whether this team is a men's, coed, or women's team
• Give us your best estimation of which of our divisions would best fit your team's talent...all of our divisions across all leagues are based on skill level, high to low:
  • Men's Leagues:  Premiership (First & Second Divisions); Championship (First & Second Divisions); and Conference (First, Second, & Third Divisions)
  • Men's "Legends" 7v7 League (Over-35): (New as of Fall 2011)
  • Coed League: (Premier, First, Second, & Third Divisions)
  • Women's League (First & Second Divisions)
• Let us know how many players you have committed thus far (you need at least 11 committed players for the league to consider holding a spot for you, and will eventually need a minimum roster of at least 15 players)
• Provide your contact information

Our league has grown by leaps and bounds in the last several years, so much so that immediate entry is no longer guaranteed.  At this stage, the league can accommodate a maximum of about 44-48 men's teams, 26-30 coed teams, and 12 women's teams, based on our available resources (fields, referees, etc.).  We are very close to those numbers currently, so it is possible that we may have to put you on a "waiting list" until a slot opens up.  Hopefully that won't be necessary, as we hate to turn anyone away, but we'll be able to give you an idea of how many groups are in front of you (if any) when you contact us.  New teams may be asked to meet more stringent registration requirements, including earlier registration deadlines, which will be communicated to each new team's coach/manager.  If any existing teams drop out, or if new teams don't satisfy all the requirements, they will be bumped to the bottom of the waiting list, and the next team in line will have an opportunity to get in to the league. 

2. Once we give you the go-ahead that your team can enter the league, then every player on your team must register by the pre-determined deadline to be eligible for his/her team's first game.  Registration averages between $93-$123 per player, depending on the season.  Dates and deadlines will be published on the front page of the website as they become available.

Players can register in three different ways: on-line, in-person, or by mail.

All players, regardless of method of registration, MUST provide a photograph for their league player card at the time of registration, if they have not already done so with the league in previous seasons.  (If any player is unsure if they still have a photograph still on file with the league, that player can contact our registrar to find out for sure.)  We prefer that all new players (those who have not played in the league before) come to in-person registration and have a digital photo taken for their player card at this time, whether they actually register in person or on-line.  Alternately, players may email a digital photo of their own, in JPG format, to the league registrar (photos@memphissoccer.com).

If a player chooses to submit his own photo, the photo must be in COLOR of the player from the chest up.  The head of the player needs to be at least the size of a nickel, and the total image of the player should be at least 200 pixels high.  There can be other people in the photo if the player can be electronically removed.  If the registrar judges the photo not to sufficiently meet these requirements, he will ask that another be submitted.  NOTE:  Registration is NOT COMPLETE until a photo is submitted; players missing photos will remain INELIGIBLE until a photo is received.

3. Complete the Team Scheduling Request Form.  This is VERY IMPORTANT information that will assist us in scheduling your team to play this season.  While there are no guarantees on scheduling, accurately completing this information will give us a much better idea of when you prefer to play, so that we can schedule you on those days/times as frequently as possible.  Any teams that do not submit a form by then will have no input into their schedule.  (Forms available here:  Men | Coed | Women)

4. Return to the "Download Forms" page and download the "GMSA Match Report Form."  This form must be TYPED in advance of your game and submitted to the referee at the field, along with your player cards and your $65 referee fee.  This form lists all of your players, their ID numbers, and their jersey numbers...all of this information should be printed on the report.  To ensure accuracy of reporting, we discourage coaches from waiting until they arrive at the field to fill in this information...please do it in advance!  We will ask that you submit a list of your team's assigned jersey numbers prior to the start of the season as well.

5. Be sure to procure uniforms for your team well in advance of the season.  Jerseys need not be expensive or extravagant, but they must be absolutely IDENTICAL (same color, style, and manufacturer) with numbers that are permanently affixed (screened or sewn to the jersey...no taped-on numbers are allowed).  Players without identical jerseys will not be allowed to participate...no exceptions!!  When you order your jerseys, we encourage you to order at least four (or more) extra jerseys that you can have on hand, should you add players during the course of the season, or for that inevitable time that someone shows up without their jersey.  (Get them now, in case that style is discontinued by the manufacturer!)  If you get enough at once, you can usually use that same set of jerseys for several seasons.

* Before ordering your jerseys, you are advised to identify a jersey color that is not prevalent in your division, if possible.  (In some of the larger divisions, most colors are probably taken by at least one team.)  We encourage all teams to have an alternate jersey available to them, but any teams whose jersey colors conflict with other teams in their division MUST have an alternate jersey for that particular game.  The home team is required to change shirts if there is a conflict.  All alternate jerseys must meet the same requirements as your preferred jersey.  (Matching shorts and socks are encouraged, but not required.)

6. Each coach/manager will need to collect enough money from his team to be able to pay the referees...ref fees are $65 per team per game for a full three-man crew.  On those rare occasions where we have fewer than three referees, the cost goes down (see match report for details).  You are guaranteed 10 regular season games, plus at least one tournament game for those teams that qualify.  The league will pay the referee fees for the semi-finals and/or finals of each tournament, but teams are responsible for all other games.  So, you should plan to pay for 11-12 games, depending on the tourney format, and on how far your team advances.  (That's approximately $715-780 per season; divided that by the number of players on your roster, and collect that much from each player so that you've got enough to pay referees for the duration of the season.)

7. You will be provided with your player cards a few days prior to the start of the season.  You MUST present your player cards to the referee prior to each match...no exceptions, no excuses!  Failure to present your cards, along with the game fee and match report at each match, will result in a FORFEIT...for reasons of liability, we cannot waver from this policy.  If you know you're going to be out of town or unavailable to attend the match, relay the cards to someone else on the team!  Don't get stuck without them.  A "backup" set of player card will be made available on-line in PDF format, and can be accessed in case of emergencies.  However, a printed match report must always be presented to the referees.

8. Remember, illegal players will absolutely not be tolerated.  Again, for reasons of legal liability, it is very dangerous to have unregistered players on the field.  Should they injure themselves or another player, there are potentially damaging and significant legal consequences that could be posed against the referee, the other players in question, and the league itself.  Any team caught using illegal players will be severely disciplined by the league, including suspension of the coach, barring of the illegal player from subsequent registration and/or participation for at least one full season, and for teams that are repeat offenders, possible expulsion from the league.  We take our registration requirements very seriously...so should you.  Pleading ignorance to the rules won't work...you've been warned!!!

9.  Lastly, be sure to take a few minutes to read our full LEAGUE RULES page.  There are a few things that we do differently from some leagues, including cumulative yellow card suspensions, disciplinary procedures, divisional tiebreakers, and more.  Again, pleading ignorance to the rules doesn't go over very well...we expect our teams to know them and abide by them, so take a few minutes now and review them.

If you have any questions about these steps, please let us know as soon as possible.  We will be happy to help in any way we can!